Donald Trump announced that he is deploying 800 National Guard troops to the city of Washington to support local and federal law enforcement forces, as part of emergency measures he claims are necessary for the city, asserting that the U.S. capital has been “taken over by violent gangs.”
However, official data shows that crime in 2024 was at its lowest level in the past 30 years, and has fallen by 26% this year compared to the same period last year.
The U.S. president also announced that he is invoking legislation for the District of Columbia that places the Washington Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control—a rare and controversial move.
Unlike the 50 states, Washington operates under a special relationship with the federal government, which can limit its autonomy.
In contrast to the 50 U.S. states, the city of Washington operates within a special relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy. This gives Trump the opportunity to apply his tough-on-crime agenda, with his political opponents accusing him of having no proposals to address the deeper causes of homelessness or crime.
Trump has also targeted the city’s homeless population, stating they must leave “immediately,” without providing details on where these thousands of people would be relocated.
Human rights groups have called Trump’s plan “fascist” and a “waste of resources,” arguing that it has nothing to do with genuine public safety.
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